Ready for Europe | Meet the new Nike third kits for Chelsea, Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, AS Roma and FC Barcelona

05.09.2018

Written by Frederik Tobias Thorgny Hansen

Written by

Frederik Tobias Thorgny Hansen

The UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League are getting closer, and Nike is now ready with a big part of the brand's European club's third kits, which usually are used in away matches during the Champions League and Europa League. Enjoy the beautiful shirts for the 2018/19 campaign right here, all inspired by the cities where the clubs belong.

Chelsea 3rd Shirt 2018/19

The design of the Chelsea 3rd Shirt 2018/19 is both progressive and innovative. Inspired by the heart of London, the DNA of the capital’s leading club is threaded throughout the shirt. The dynamic textural print on the shirt’s center appears at first glance to be a contemporary pattern, but upon closer inspection transforms into an aerial depiction of Stamford Bridge and its surrounding area. The Blues’ historic home is honored within the print, creating a link to London even when the team is playing away.

Manchester City 3rd Shirt 2018/19

Last season Manchester City FC finished a record-breaking run with an unprecedented 100 cumulative points. City looks to build on that success in 2018-19, and their new third kit, worn for this season's European campaign, brings a striking color palate to the proceedings.

The Manchester City 3rd Shirt 2018/19 reintroduces the famous football sash as a nod to the club’s past (it was last worn on pitch during the 2010-11 season), while also staying grounded in the present with a print formed by an aerial view of industrial East Manchester, the Etihad Stadium and its surrounding area. In total, the kit symbolizes City’s quest for glory and showcases the club’s pride in representing the City of Manchester in Europe.

Atletico Madrid 3rd Shirt 2018/19

The Fountain of Neptune, found at the center of Madrid Plaza, is the metaphorical focal point of the Atletico Madrid 3rd Shirt 2018/19.

The striking two-tone blue shirt pays a twofold tribute to the synergy among the club, its supporters and the Spanish capital: First, by representing the water that flows from the fountain, around which fans gather to celebrate victories. And second, through its orange detailing, reminiscent of the way the city’s sunshine bounces off Neptune’s trident.

The base of the design is an aerial map of Madrid, which is distorted through the famous stripes of the Atlético jersey. This marks the location of the fountain, and further grounds the club to its unique home city.

AS Roma 3rd Shirt 2018/19

The rich and unique history of the "Eternal City" is at the heart of the AS Roma 3rd Shirt 2018/19.

The kit's graphic design includes a series of aerial map views of key moments in Roman history, from ancient times to present, to form a distinctive pattern for the fiery gold jersey. Discreetly embedded within the design is the Lupetto, the she-wolf described in the founding myth of Rome, a powerful club symbol for the Giallorossi. Both the distorted map and the icon celebrate the city’s formidable history and potent future. For the club, this means a kit that is, according to Hoppins, “a Roma kit like no other before it.”

Inter Milan 3rd Shirt 2018/19

Milan’s iconic Duomo, along with its famous marble floors, form the inspiration for the Inter Milan 3rd Shirt 2018/19, which is steeped in local heritage and history.

The new kit features a distorted map of Milan's city center within a swirling marbled graphic. The pattern surrounds a thick, dark gray cross, which is a reference to the Cross of St. George, a powerful Milanese symbol found on the city’s coat of arms. For a final flourish, the famous blue of Inter’s home shirt makes an appearance in the form of a blue Swoosh and club crest.

FC Barcelona 3rd Shirt 2018/19

Just as the Avinguda Diagonal cuts an angular swathe through Barcelona’s city blocks, a sash darts from the left shoulder to right hem of FC Barcelona third kit 2018/19, which completes a set of new kits rich in club DNA.

The two-tone shirt, with the darker red of the sash and its surrounding graphic gradually giving way to a paler pink shade, is the latest in a long line of daring changed kits worn by Barca. The 10 vertical stripes on the club's home kit celebrate the 10 principal districts of the city, while the volt yellow away kit evokes memories of a famous 2005-06 campaign and underlines the club’s adventurous spirit. With a pattern based on an aerial view of Barcelona’s famous Eixample District and its blocks, the third strip provides an extra-special connection back to the city’s landscape.